In paying tribute to Hazarika, guitarists create record

Guwahati, June 4 (IANS) A total of 5,406 guitarists have simultaneously played and paid a tribute to Assam’s most celebrated musical icon Late Dr. Bhupen Hazarika, popularly known as Bhupen-da, in the process also entering their names in the Limca Book of Records.

The ensemble, which played the musical icon’s immortal number “Bristrirno Parore…”, Sunday entered the Limca Book of Records but fell short by less than a thousand participants to enter the Guinness World Records as the largest guitar ensemble, an organiser said.

The participating guitarists were mostly from the northeast region.

The current Guinness Record for the largest guitar ensemble is held by Poland, after 6,346 guitarists played a common tune at Wroclaw on May 1, 2009.

“We actually wanted to pay a musical tribute to Bhupen-da, who passed away last year. However, the idea of making a record for the largest guitar ensemble was also there,” said Ankur Dutta, one of the organisers of the event.

The event, which drew most of the veteran musicians of Assam as also members of younger generation, played the evergreen tune of Bhupen-da for about seven minutes at the Sarusojai Stadium here.

The previous Limca record for the largest guitar ensemble was creted in Shillong in 2007 when 1,730 guitarists played together Bob Dylan’s famous number “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door…”

“We are happy that people came out in such large numbers,” said Dutta, adding that the ensemble has been given a provisional certificate for creating a new national record by Limca Book of Records. “Now we are going to try for the world record for the largest guitar ensemble.”